Space Jellyfish Florida: SpaceX rocket launch creates glowing sky display
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket created a glowing “space jellyfish” effect in the sky over Central Florida today. Thousands of residents across Florida woke up to a translucent, blue-and-white jellyfish-like shape drifting across the sky.
The rocket responsible for this effect had lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This flight was SpaceX’s 35th commercial resupply mission (CRS-35) to the International Space Station. The spacecraft will travel for 52 hours before autonomously docking with the International Space Station.
‘Space jellyfish’ from recent SpaceX launch captured by pilot of a passing plane
h/t @thejetdriver pic.twitter.com/160enuGdDU
— Latest in space (@latestinspace) October 14, 2026
The science behind the “Space Jellyfish” in Florida
The space jellyfish effect occurs during early morning or late evening launches. At these times, the ground and the lower atmosphere are in darkness. However, the rocket climbs high enough into the upper atmosphere to catch the direct rays of the sun.
As the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rises into increasingly thin air, atmospheric pressure drops sharply. This causes exhaust gases from the rocket’s second-stage engine to expand outward. These gases consist mainly of water vapor and carbon dioxide. The jellyfish shape is caused by the sun’s reflection off this cloud of vapor. The illuminated plume forms an umbrella-like head with long, drifting trails below it.
The plume’s high altitude and illumination by sunlight before dawn made it visible across Florida.
